08. 08. 2014

Father of murdered teen: Media are cruel

Belgrade, 8.8.2014 (B92, FoNet, SRNA) - Some media have been "very cruel" while reporting about the tragedy of 15-year-old Tijana Jurić, the father of the murdered girl, Igor Jurić, has said.

A day after it was announced that the missing teenager was found murdered, he revealed that some media outlets "even blackmailed him into giving them statements, otherwise they would not publish Tijana's picture."

"I'm not going to name them, they know who they are. When a man is in a situation like this, when his child is missing, then you (the media) in a way, add ten more things, so the pain of one's child not being there is not enough, one has to struggle with all these other things in order to justify oneself," news agencies FoNet and Srna have quoted Jurić as saying.

He said that since Tijana went missing on July 26, the family "went through hell" and explained that there was pressure from all sides, including journalists, adding that the family "hopes the murder of their daughter and the tragedy they have experienced will be the last in Serbia."

Reacting to the media coverage of the case, the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) noted in a statement that some media published articles accusing Jurić of owing money to loan sharks, "without adequately checking and without valid sources to confirm" that this would be the reason for the child's abduction.

The UNS also warned colleagues that editors and journalists are "always required to adhere to ethical standards and the Code of Journalists of Serbia, especially when reporting on tragic events that affect not only individuals and their families, but the whole community" - and that they "must not reach for extortion, threats and persecution of sources" when gathering information.

The UNS asked colleagues to, when reporting about cases that are profoundly distressing to the public, respect also the principle of the presumption of innocence and follow the rules under which journalists investigate, publish the facts and make a clear distinction between facts, assumptions, and guesses.

"A striking example of a violation of all norms is the article, 'What awaits monsters in jail: They curse the day they were born!,' published on the website of the Telegraf magazine," said the association.

Interior Minister Nebojša Stefanović held a news conference on Thursday, and when asked what the police would do about media reports that the girl was abducted because of the alleged debt owed by her parents, said that "there are institutions that deal with such questions," while the police is "not in charge."

The body of Tijana Jurić was found near Sombor in northern Serbia, and the police have a 34-year-old man, Dragan Đurić, in custody as a suspect in the case. He admitted to the crime and showed the investigators where he buried the victim.

The City Council of Subotica has declared Friday a day of mourning. Tijana Jurić will be laid to rest in the town's Orthodox cemetery today.